Manchester United are reportedly prepared to step up their pursuit of Valencia youngster Carlos Soler and are plotting a £40 million bid for the player.
The Independent are claiming that Manchester United are ready to step up their interest in Valencia youngster Carlos Soler. The Red Devils have been chasing the midfielder for a long time now. But, the club is now plotting a move for the player, who is turning heads with his displays.
Carlos Soler has often been hailed as one of the best young footballers in Spain. A born Valencian, the midfielder joined the biggest club in his region, Valencia CF at the age of eight. Soler progressed through the ranks with rapid pace but the turmoil and managerial turnover at the club saw the player biding his time for first-team action.
However, he soon established himself at the Mestalla and has only grown in stature under the tutelage of Marcelino Garcia Toral. Valencia’s performances have also picked up under the manager, who seems to have a soft spot for Soler, with the player starting all of the club’s 11 La Liga games thus far, albeit at varied positions.
The chopping and changing of positions could turn out to be a good thing for Soler as pundits have often exclaimed that young footballers learn a lot by playing various positions as long as their own identity is not brought under question. Soler has been deployed either in the midfield or on the wings, which would only add another dimension to his game.
In fact, while he is often labelled as a natural central midfielder, he has grown into his role as a winger and is being eyed by various top European clubs to fill the role of a winger. Manchester United have been long-time admirers of the Spaniard, being linked with the 20-year-old since the turn of the year.
There has been competition in the form of Barcelona, Real Madrid and even neighbours Manchester City. But, the Red Devils have maintained a keen eye on the 20-year-old and his displays for Valencia. And with Jose Mourinho still looking to add a winger to his squad, the club will reportedly launch the offensive for Soler in January.
The report entails that Mourinho has admitted defeat in pursuit of Ivan Perisic and with a winger his priority, he is ready to make Soler his main target for the window, which the manager expects to be a low-key affair as far as the transfer activity is concerned.
While many could question Mourinho’s preference for Soler, who is not exactly an out-and-out winger in himself, there is no doubt as to the 20-year-old’s quality. A case could also be made to the fact that the addition of Soler could see either Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford’s game time being restricted to an extent.
José Mourinho currently sees Valencia’s Carlos Soler as his main Manchester United January transfer target. (Source: Independent) pic.twitter.com/7f8wFz6FFq
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 15, 2017
While that itself is is unlikely to go down well with the United fans, another point of contention for the club is the fees that Soler would command. The report mentions a £40 million figure, but the player’s contract – a four-year deal signed in May 2017 – includes a release clause of €80 million, according to Spanish publication Sport.
United are unlikely to spend the full amount of release clause to land Soler, irrespective of Mourinho’s need and the player’s ability. This looks like a move that is unlikely to bear fruit, with Soler a firm starter at Valencia, who are having a renaissance of sorts in La Liga.
Moving to United is likely to compromise Soler’s game-time, which could be detrimental to the 20-year-old’s progress. A deal that could be in the pipeline but could be a reality only a couple of years later.
